Liquid purification apparatus



R. B. MORSE LIQUID PURIFIGATION APPARATUS Original Filed April 1l,.1i-)34 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. B. MORSE Dec. 9 1941.

LIQUID PURIFICATION APPARATUS original Filed April 11,1954

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll .II-Il III fr fir JRober' ZB Morse, eeased, g zireEllora?, Admilsrarix.

Patented Dec. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIQUID PURIFICATIONAPPARATUS as joint tenants Continuation of application Serial No.720,107, April 11, 1934. This application January 27, 1938, Serial No.187,324

4 Claims.

This invention relates to liquid purification apparatus, and while it isdirected primarily to means for treating raw water for drinking and-domestic purposes, it will be understood that its use is not to be thusrestricted, as with possible alterations or changes of minor nature itmay be effectively used in the treatment of heavier polluted liquids,such as sewage, industrial waste, etc.

More particularly the invention relates to filter construction andoperation, the lter herein disclosed being particularly adapted for usein connection with the liquid purification apparatus shown and describedin United States Letters Patent of Robert B. Morse, deceased, No.2,129,- 181, dated September 6, 1938, and of which the presentapplication is a continuation.

A particular object of the apparatus here claimed is to provide a lterfor eliectively treating liquid passing therethrough which may bereadily and quickly cleaned of impurities when required with the leastpossible opportunity for disturbance of the ilter bed.

With these objects in View, together With others which will appear asthe description proceeds, the invention consists in the novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will bedescribed more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a filter constructed and arranged inaccordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View taken upon line 2 2 ofFigure 1,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken upon line 3 3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but taken upon line 4 4 of Figure1, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical transverse sectional view through thefilter and illustrating means whereby the filter bed may be supported.

In the Letters Patent aforesaid means are shown and described fortreating raw water preliminary to its introduction to the filter, andwhile the filter herein disclosed is designed primarily for use inconnection with a purification plant of the type disclosed in the saidpatent, it will be understood that its use is not to be necessarilyrestricted to that type of plant, as it may be efciently used with othertypes of filtration plants, designed either with or without preliminarysedimentation or coagulation steps.

The lter chamber` is included within the walls It, wherein there ishorizontally disposed a grating or screen II spaced a substantialdistance above the oor of the chamber so as to provide a substantialspace I2 between the said screen i and the floor of the chamber. Thescreens as here disclosed cover substantially the entire horizontal areaof the filter chamber, and in order to be readily removable are made insections so shaped and tted together as to provide a continuous floorfor the filter material. These screens may be formed of spacedsubstantially parallel slats or bars as shown in Figure 5 securedtogether in any preferred or desired manner and supported upon I beamsI3 supported by posts HI rising from the floor of the filter chamber.Graded gravel I5 is arranged in proper depth upon the screen, and a bedof liner filter material I6, such as sand, is disposed upon this gravelbed. It will be understood that the graded gravel and sand will bearranged in proper depth so as to efliciently filter water passingdownwardly therethrough to the space I2 beneath the screen.

A well or conduit I'I is arranged within the lter chamber, and intowhich the influentvis introduced through a suitable pipe I8. 'Ihis flowiscontrolled by a valve I9 of any suitable type or construction. Thewell, which extends upwardly from the floor of the compartment, is incommunication at its upper end with a channel 2t extending preferablythe length of the lter chamber. A plurality of relatively shallowtroughs 2| communicate with the channel 20 and extend laterally inspaced relation over the lter bed. The construction is such that liquidentering the well I'I through pipe I8, rises therein and flows into thechannel 20, from which it enters the several troughs 2| and spills overthe edges thereof and onto the filter bed. The liquid precipitatesthrough this bed, and in so passing is puried and freed of all solids,nally reaching the space I2 beneath the filter bed from whence it isconducted through pipe or duct 22 either to a pure water reservoir or toother chambers for further treatment if found necessary. The filtereffluent is provided with several nozzles as shown in order that thefiltered water may rapidly be removed from the pure water space beneaththe filter bed and this ilow may be discontinued when necessary byoperation of valve 23. By providing the channel 20 and a plurality oftroughs 2l, it is apparent that a relatively large volume of water maybe adequately taken care of in a comparatively limited amount of waterthrough the filter bed. A pipe 24 leading from 'aV suitable supply offilteredwatergenters the space l2 beneath the filter bed a substantialdistance above the floor of the'lt'er chamber,

and is provided with a plurality of nozzles V25 as` shown. Thesenozzlesare arranged'relatively-far apart so as to evenly dispose theflow over the floor of the chamber. These nozzles are turned in adownward direction as shown, so that` the force of the water will bedirected against the said iioor. By Vthis arrangement, a relativelylarge wash water pipe may be used,v so as to insure rapid lling of thefilter chamber and to thusY quickly wash the bed without danger ofdisturbingthe' latter. The ilow of wash water is controlled by. valve`25;

Whenit is desired to reverse the flow of liquid through the lter forcleaning purposes, the valves I9' and 23' are closed, whileV valve 2B isopened- The wash. water, through the. several nozzles 25", quickly llsthe space i2 andl by the time the levelthereof reaches the' lter bed allturbulenceor agitation is dissipated, so that. the rise of wash waterthroughithe` screen and the various' layers of filter material will besteady andfrapidwith no possibility of the bedV being disturbed. Suchforeign matterv asis held inthe bed will be floated therefromy with theVwash water and will flow over into. the gutters 'or troughs: 2r. andthrough the channel 2i). into 'well'. H,'from..whence it flows. througha wash water; effluent/21T to a. sewer. The flow through this. efliuent.is governed by. valve 28. In this manner,it will be found necessary tocontinue theY flow; of wash water only av comparatively shortT time, asthe large volume and rapid flow through the filter will be found toeffectively After the i tibleof other shapes, sizes an'ddimensions withvout'departing from the spirit of the invention'.

Having thus described the invention, what is 4claimed is:

1 In a liquid purification apparatus, la' lter chamber, an open workscreen bottom spaced a substantialdistance abovev the oor of'said cham'-ber,` a graduated gravel filter bed arranged upon said bottom and havinga sandr covering', a well, a'plurality of troughs overlying said bed, achannel' communicating with said troughs and with Ysaid well,liquidnozzles disposed in downward direction in. the space beneath saidbottom, and means to admit liquid to said welll 2. In a liquidpurication apparatus, a lter chamber, an open work bottom spaced asubstan` tial distance above the floor of said chamber, a relativelydeep gravel and sand filter bed arranged upon said bottom, a well,troughs overlying said bed,ra channel communicating' with said troughsand with said well, a plurality of liquid nozzles disposed near said oorand directed toward the latter, a drain for said chambei, means to admitliquid to said well, and a drain for said well.

3. Ina liquid.. purication apparatus, a filter chamber of substantialarea, a false bottom spaced above the floor of the chamber, said bottomcomprising' an open work screen constructed so as to permitsubstantially unobstructed now of: water uniformly. throughoutsubstantially its entire area, alter bed of substantial depth arrangedupon said bottom and comprising graduated gravel and a sand covering,means for admitting liquid to be filtered to the top of 'said bed, meansfor withdrawing ltered liquid from the space below. said bed,fmean's fordelivering wash water tov said space at highvelocityandin large-volumeto .back wash saidbed, and means for draining off saidy wash water, saidspace be` ing of sumcient depth andxthezinitial outrush of wash watertherein being in a direction. other than toward said bottom andsufliciently spaced therefrom that the initialturbulence of thewaterisispent beforev it reaches said screenI bottom, wherebyr a large volumeof water may be forced back up through said'openwork bottom and saidfilter bed atl a rate: sufficiently rapidto lift and thoroughly cleanthefsand toppingwithoutl disturbing, the graduated gravel.

4. In a liquidlpurication apparatus, a'filter chamber of substantialarea, a false bottom spaced above the floor. ofi thechambensaid bottomYcomprising an openwork screen constructed so as to permit substantiallyunobstructed flow of water uniformly throughout substantially'its entirearea, a iilter bied of substantial depth arranged upon' said bottom andcomprisingrgraduatedz gravel andV asand covering, means for admittingliquid to loe-filtered to theS-topofsaid bed", means forl withdrawingiilteredD liquid'Y from theaspace below said bed, nozzlesprojecting intosaid vspace and directed downwardly therein away from said screen bottomfor theA delivery' of wash water to said space at high velocity and inilarge Volume, and means for draining off said` `wash water, saidspace'being of such depth and the nozzles being so located with respectto said floor andY said screen that "the initialturbulence of the waterissuing from said'nozzlesis spent before it reachessaid screenbottom,.wh`ereby alarge volume of water may be forcedfrom said spaceback up through said open workfbottom and saidlter bed at a ratesufficiently rapidto lift andthor' oughly clean the sand` toppingwithoutdisturbing? the. graduated; gravel.

CARRIE E. MORSE,- Administratri'l of'the Estate ofRobfert B. M orse',

Deceased.

